Oh Wonder
by Sheppard SD
Summary: Zoness, home to hundreds of oasis-like islands that attract anyone regardless of who they are. Some of those attracted aren't particularly welcome. Clusters of islands mysteriously start to fall off the grid. As time progresses, a team of confused and jaded soldiers live life as they can while they find their world getting smaller and smaller. (Foxhole Contest Submission)


_Well this is my first post in a very long time. I hope I haven't lost everything..._

 _Anyway, belated contest entry. Just hit that word count (my doc said 19,542; don't listen to this site). The one thing I suggest is to pay attention to the perspective. The story will look weird if you don't look at it through the focal character's eyes. The way the story is told is dependent on who the story is focused on at any given time. Just be mindful of that as you read._

 _Thoughts, comments, even criticisms, are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to point out any mistakes I made as well. Above all, please enjoy._

 _-Haygood_

* * *

 _Oh Wonder_

* * *

Sun shining. Crystal blue sky. Gentle breeze. Perfection.

An odd planet, Zoness is. The planet is more of an awkward love child between Corneria and Aquas. 99% ocean. The only things differentiating it from Aquas are the tiny pockets of islands that litter the ball of salt water. Islands no bigger than thirty or forty square miles. Islands that are almost completely flat. Islands teeming with life. Islands that could be mistaken for displaced cities out in the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what it seemed like most days.

Some island clusters were more popular than others. The ones that tended to be more densely populated were the ones that were cooler year-round. The cluster state simply known as "Sentaa" was in just that ideal place. Three average-sized islands no more than twenty square miles formed an upside-down triangle that surrounded a larger island just over double the size of the smaller ones. Each island rested between fifteen or twenty miles away from the central island. Ideal weather, ideal climate, ideal… everything.

On that southern-most island is where our story beings.

Sarah's windows were always down. Obviously. The weather now was just too good to pass up. Even if she was just taking the SUV down the street to the grocery store, she took advantage of the breezy, warm weekday afternoon. Her aviator sunglasses reflected the cloudless sky into her rear mirror. Life was good.

The baggy t-shirt and short athletic shorts were a constant staple of Sarah's appearance. With good reason too. She kept herself at the picture of health and fitness despite being a tiny little thing. The wolves on her mother's side were like that: tiny, but well-built despite it. Not even her father's shepherd genes could aid her size. Ah well. Saved her money on clothes. The smaller sizes were cheaper.

The young wolf's radio cut out as soon as she turned into the neighborhood. Tall, narrow houses flanking either side made it impossible for the tower on the northwest end of the island to broadcast her usual summer tunes straight to her truck. No mind. She got used to it after a couple months of living here. A few minutes without music wasn't gonna kill anyone. Not on a day as perfect as today.

The eighth house on the left side was hers. Well, for her _and_ her team. Just like the houses all around her, the tall and narrow white-plastered home appeared cramped and boring. These houses were all constructed for the boom in population ever since the new military base went up on the main island twenty miles north off the coast. They weren't built for luxury like the villas on the north-east end, nor were they constructed like the dense apartment complexes packed into the city center. The far-east side stayed reserved for these residential apartment-like homes for the middle class or—in her case—militant housing. Houses copy-pasted ten, twenty, thirty times over on a narrow, linear street, with little to no deviation. Even the address seemed computer-generated. The houses on either side only had a one-digit difference. It was hard for anything to stand out.

The two-car garage basically established the foundation for the home. Nothing wider than what you could fit her SUV and her roommate's truck into. Building up was the only way to get any sort of space with how many residents flooded the islands. Just in front of where Sarah pulled in was a narrow staircase to the second floor. Wasn't much different to get to the third and final floor. Narrow stairs in the back. At least the builders managed to get what they needed inside, or else there would be a few problems.

Sarah always parked on the right side. After turning the truck off, she grabbed a bunch of reusable shopping bags from the back of it. Couldn't get them all. She had to leave the gallon of milk and another bag to get on the next trip. She slipped around the other vehicle in the garage and made her way up.

The second floor was the standard living room. Hardwood floors covered by a flat, tan rug in the middle; the rug surrounded by a couch, an armchair, and a cabinet that conveniently matched the overall look of the place. A low coffee table sat in the middle, overlooking the couch and the TV hung on the wall. The only windows were to the left of the couch behind the armchair; three tall, narrow panes of glass looking out on the street… as if there was anything to gain by looking out. In the corner, using about 25% of the floor space, was the walled-off bathroom. Good thing too. Just below the bathroom was the house's water heater in the garage, which Sarah almost always brushes when pulling into her spot in the garage.

Sarah passed by Gary Duncan on her way up to the top. The heavy-set malamute was where he tended to be whenever he was home: sitting at the desk by the TV on his computer, blue eyes staring into the screen. No hair but the fur on his head. Big fluffy tail sweeping the floor. Looked like he could carry all of Sarah's groceries and maybe even three more families' worth of grocery bags with ease. He was always the one to fix the water heater when it would act up every now and again. Always the one to change the oil in her car or fix that damn squeaky bathroom door. You might not even notice him do it though. Quiet guy, he was. He was the gentle giant of the house. Somedays he'd only speak a sentence or two throughout the day, but that was enough to tell you that he was doing just fine.

"Hey Gary, I got everything," she announced. The malamute slipped his headset down around his neck and craned around to see.

Gary gave a weak grin. "Welcome back." He spoke with a polite, dignified diction while also staying as rural as possible with his tone. His voice overall was a treat to hear. Shame he didn't use it very much.

"Oh, so I picked up some ground meat, some pasta, and, like, four different kinds of cheese. Did you want to try to do something with everything there for supper tonight?"

Gary shrugged. "I'll give it a try."

Sarah nodded. Up the stairs again. There was the kitchen; counters and appliances along the back wall, separated by a long, bar-like counter on the left side. Simple granite with a stained wood finish. The floor stayed the same as the previous floor. The other half of the third floor was the bedroom, nestled along the right wall of the house. The door was shut, so she couldn't peer inside. Windows were much the same as the floor below, but not as many, as the bedroom cut off that wall space.

Sarah set her bags at the end of the long counter, then went back down for the rest of her groceries.

Upon coming back up to the kitchen less than a minute later, she saw Esteban Covino sitting at the counter. The cardinal could turn sideways and he'd disappear, he was so thin. Though, he did have Gary's height, but sure as hell not his size. The only thing making him taller than Gary was his spiked head feathers. Sometimes he'd comb them back. Other times he'd let them drop in front of his green eyes. It was hit or miss what the bird would do. One thing is for sure, and that is whatever Esteban decided to do with his hair on any given day, he'd always do it with a simple little grin. Not the grin that you have when you see a friend, nor the grin when you see something funny and try not to laugh aloud at it. It was more of the grin that told someone that—no matter what happened today, or yesterday, or even the day before—life was still pretty damn good, and there wasn't any reason _not_ to grin.

Sarah began to unload her bags. "You're actually awake before noon," she said with a smile. As young as she was, her voice had grit. The kind of grit that was left on your plate after your morning toast. That being said, the gravelly and somewhat hoarse voice she possessed was somehow melodic… like she was perpetually singing a song without the background music. Classic rock and roll singers might not have had the best singing voices, but they sure as hell were iconic and enjoyable to listen to. They got stuck in your head and you were always happy to hear them. That was Sarah Vatanen in a nutshell.

Esteban set his newspaper down on the counter. He may have woken up before noon, but he sure looked like he had _just_ woken up; head-feathers scattered about and his outfit of his baggy nightclothes he had worn overnight, masked by a navy bathrobe. Not to mention that he looked incredibly tired. Least he had coffee.

"Austin woke me up while packing," the cardinal explained. Being how he was a native Zonessian unlike his female Cornerian roommate and his other roommates, his words were annunciated differently. His consonants sounded okay, but he seemed to confuse vowel sounds every now and again. But hey, pretty much all Zonessians talked that same way, just like pretty much every Zonessian had the surname _Martinez_ , _Garcia_ , or _Lopez_. Didn't stop him from talking whenever he could.

Sarah stopped. "Packing?" she echoed with uncertain curiosity, like she wanted to know, but didn't really want to know the answer. She didn't let Esteban answer as she slid around the counter and took a peek through the rungs of the staircase. Sitting on the couch was a backpack and a folded up military uniform she had somehow failed to notice on both trips up. She could just barely make out the _Rahal_ patch on the chest of the jacket.

As she stepped back up to question Esteban further, out came Austin from the bedroom. There were marks on the top of the doorframe where Austin's antlers would occasionally scrape the paint away. Sometimes he'd forget to duck when retrieving clothes from the bedroom he never slept in. This time, he had to grab his extra set of boots buried within the closet.

"Packing," the deer echoed once more. "Finally got word from Central," he added, stepping by Sarah into the kitchen. He made sure to toss his boots by the staircase before going in. "They're needing additional pilots, and my name got called."

"I think it's stupid," muttered the cardinal from behind his newspaper.

"Wait, so, they called you and not anyone else?"

"They did, just not any of you," he said, his voice saying he was relieved to get away from this house, but his body posture all but confirming it. He almost appeared worried. But, leave it to Austin to never let it show. "Specifically asked for Austin Rahal, the last resort the Zonessian Navy needs to dispatch this abominable invader."

"You don't even know what it is."

Austin turned to glare at Esteban. "Nobody does, Covino, so your argument has no bearing."

"You seem awfully confident for something you know absolutely nothing about," Esteban continued to tease, though Austin still could not detect the sarcasm.

"Being confident still beats out… whatever you are," Austin sneered.

" _I'll_ still be alive by the end of the week," Esteban said into his coffee cup.

"Yeah, and you'll thank me later for that," Austin quickly chimed.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Just stay safe, okay? I don't even know what it is they need you for but whatever it is—"

"Relax, sweetheart, I can carry my own," Austin butted in, swiping his drink from the fridge. "I'll leave my leftovers in the fridge for my triumphant return," he added, striding by the wolf, scooping up his boots, and diving downstairs in one smooth motion. Sarah followed closely.

"You know I'm gonna worry about you," she said while stomping down the stairs. She tried to force a smile on her face.

"Nothing to worry about," he seemed to puff out his chest a bit when he slid his backpack over his shoulder. "There's a reason they asked for me."

"Did you happen to catch _why_ they needed you?" she asked. Gary turned around and pulled his heavy headphones down around his neck to listen.

"No new information," he spoke just like the voice he heard on the phone this morning, but there was sarcastic ire in the tone Austin adopted for his rendition of it. "Still unknown, still at-large, and still effective. Happening all over the place. At least a dozen island clusters are still unresponsive. Haven't heard a word from anyone."

Sarah shook her head in bewilderment. "This is just so strange," she said with flattened ears. "And they still don't know why?"

Austin shook his head, but in negativity this time around. "And they don't want to investigate because any reconnaissance sent out in their directions don't come back. Radio signals die twenty miles outside any dead island. We have no idea other than what we already know, which is next to nothing."

"Now I'm very worried," Sarah remarked.

"Hey, I said don't worry about it," confidence oozed from the deer. "I'll be back before you know it. I can take care of myself, you know that."

"I know, but…" she trailed off briefly. "Something this odd isn't something I should take lightly, especially now that you're involved."

"And I thought you'd be happy I'm out of the house," joked Austin.

Sarah tried to laugh. It didn't work that well.

* * *

:§:

* * *

Eating dinner without Austin felt strange. He usually started all the conversations and carried them throughout the meal. With the vacancy at the counter very clearly apparent, dinner was mostly eaten in silence. It was a shame too. Dinner was very good this time around. Gary sure knew how to cook.

The sun was just beginning to set. A barrage of flamboyant colors painted the once azure blue sky into a watercolor masterpiece that would make the most respectable artists envious. Despite the sun's rays of warmth disappearing behind the oceanic horizon, temperatures hovered. Cool, calm, and enjoyable. Just a shame that the narrow windows couldn't open. It would have been a nice day to give the air conditioner a break.

Esteban made his way down to the second floor. He finally traded in his nightclothes he had been wearing since last night for a florescent green and black compression suit; covering him from his neck down to his boots. He even had a pair of nice matching gloves.

Gary was still in his usual spot. Rarely ever would this _not_ be the case while he was still in the house. Sarah had her eyes on the TV, but soon turned her attention to Esteban when he made his presence known.

"You still up for biking tonight?" Esteban asked with genuine interest. His heart fell a little when Sarah shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling it tonight," Sarah admitted with a guilty tone.

"I understand," the cardinal replied. "Tomorrow?"

She grinned. "Possibly."

Satisfied enough, Esteban departed. In the garage next to the washer and dryer, he fished out his bike. Making sure he had keys stowed away, he rode down the driveway and along the street, closing the garage door behind him.

He never wore a helmet. Biked at least five kilometers a day for well over ten years, and hasn't needed a helmet once. So he let his feathers fly free, usually blown back by how fast he tended to bike.

Everyone has their ways of escape. Some draw. Some play games. Some talk to friends. Some drive around. For Esteban, biking was his escape. His bike was his most important possession. Five hundred credits worth of black painted steel, rubber, and ingenuity. He never owned nor drove a car in his life. It was always his bike that got him from place to place. Or in this case, home right back to home again after a few hours around the island.

Southern Island—as it aptly became known as—had the misfortune of being the smallest of the Sentaa Islands. Still, the oblong egg-shaped land mass still held nearly twenty square miles and nearly ten thousand residents. Now, _residents_ was a loose term. Esteban and his company were stationed on Southern Island for military purposes, as was many others. Sure, many were tourists, natives, and business personnel alike, but it didn't particularly matter that much. He'd be gone from this place in a few months tops.

Regardless,

A highway circled the coast wherever it could, acting as a bypass for the inner city. This basically allowed the tourists to hit the best parts of the island without getting stuck through the city center. Esteban utilized this in a different way. He tended to ride the sidewalks of the divided highway for a bit, traveling upward along the northeastern coast before cutting down into the upper-class district. Riding on the highway gave him a great view every single day. Today was no different.

After the three kilometers of fast, strenuous biking, he took a moment to collect himself. Only a little bit before his exit. Breathing heavy, sweating profusely, muscles aching… yet he still had the presence of mind to look out north. The sun had long since disappeared behind the rippling waves, but the sky it left behind had no shortage of awe. A pink afterglow peered over the horizon, swirling with the night sky to create colors that haven't even been named yet. This view never got old.

Esteban slowed to a slow crawl. Barely moving. Catching his breath. Even after five years of doing this, he still could wear himself out with ease. His suit uncomfortably clung to his skin. But he pedaled on. After watching the mesh of colors overhead dull into darkness, the cardinal finally peeled off the highway.

The leisure ride through this end of town brought out the wonder in him. Villas that cost more than his family could ever make in a lifetime dotted the northeast end of the island. Fancy gates kept people like him out. Still, the extravagance of them kept his mind whirring. The kinds of people that lived in them… the kinds of parties they threw… the life they live… Despite the luxurious aura the mansions gave off, the truth living within those gates were left to be desired.

Esteban cruised during this part of his eight-kilometer bike ride. The sweat clinging to his body began to cool him once the temperatures dipped. The aches and pains of his limbs dulled just like the skies above. Slowly, carefully, deliberately cutting through the curves that molded to the expensive villas' taste. As much as he enjoyed gazing upon the millionaires' abodes, knowing he couldn't ever do the same as them left a sour taste in his mouth. There was hope though.

And that hope translated to another three kilometers of heavy biking. Once out of that district, Esteban blew through block after block of housing, powerfully speeding through without a look back. The densely packed high-rises and business towers were mere blurs in his peripherals. Traffic lights and street signs blew by before he had a chance to register what they were. New sweat mixed with the old. His arms set ablaze. His legs cried out for relief. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.

He started coasting two blocks before the street he lived on. Breathing heavier than before. But damn did he feel good. Might've been the hardest he worked in a long while. Should be proud of that work. A breathy smile appeared as he cut his corner and drifted back home.

Esteban damn near dripped with sweat upon coming back inside once he climbed off his bike and walked it up the driveway. He left his boots and gloves at the door. His euphoric feeling soon replaced itself with disgust at the feeling of walking up the stairs. A shower was surely imminent.

It was one of those showers that made you feel that you would never be fully dry ever again. The dense, heavy stream of water melted the knot on his neck. The rancid stench of an eight-kilometer bike ride fell victim to a cool, citrus-like scent. All the warm sweat disappeared down the drain. The best part about a workout like this was the great shower that always followed.

Cumulatively, Esteban spent the most time under the stream. Not because of his hair or because of the severity of his workouts, but because of the mind underneath. Something about the hot steam made his mind open up. Fragments of thoughts seemed to be put together in strange ways when that shower head was on. The shower gave him new ideas. New thoughts or perspectives. After all, his decision to enlist in the Zonessian Navy came from an almost hour-long shower. His idea to spend all his savings to purchase a bike resulted from a similar night.

Being as Zoness was essentially a giant ball of salt water, purification plants on the islands would be the best that they could ever be, right? Well, yes. In fact, clean water on Zoness is about as costly as breathing on Zoness. Hell, Esteban could be in the shower for the entire day and it wouldn't cost Sarah or Gary anything. The only thing it would cost is Sarah's turn in the bathroom, which actively fought Esteban's record times more often than not.

Another round of shampoo. He scrubbed suds into every single feather he could reach, determined to eliminate every miniscule droplet of sweat. He felt ten pounds heavier with his water-logged feathers. But the good thing was that the crimson pigment always seemed to glow after a deep cleaning, especially after biking. It added to how he felt about himself.

Damn it, he lost track of time again. Esteban shut the shower head off and let himself drip. That was another handful of minutes he sacrificed. Even still, he had to get out to dry himself off completely. He roughly ran a towel through every single feather he had just spent an unknown amount of time soaking. Tail feathers included. Once that was out of the way, he still needed to wipe the layer of fog away from the mirror.

Still nothing. Still as thin as ever. Sure, he was toned and fit beyond belief, but he didn't have the strength he wanted. He didn't have Gary's strength. Nor Austin's chiseled looks. For someone who biked as much and as hard as he did, he didn't have much to show for it in terms of how he looked. He felt like his health couldn't be in any better condition, but it sure didn't look that way from what the mirror showed him. That was a bit dissuading.

Shrug it off. Keep going. You'll get there. Just keep going.

Maybe one of those times he'll actually ignore himself and face reality. But he sure wasn't going to let that time be now. Not now.

He slung his towel around his neck and slipped into a basic pair of tight athletic shorts before leaving the bathroom. As he expected, it was very late. Must've been in the shower for quite a bit. Gary still hadn't moved from his desk; what a surprise. Sarah was nowhere to be seen though. He checked the digital clock underneath the TV. Well past 10 PM. Almost 11.

Esteban quickly visited the garage to toss his biking suit into the dryer. The cold cement felt great. Almost wanted to stay down there a few extra minutes. But it was late after all. He trudged back upstairs.

It was odd not seeing a deer lying on the sofa as usual. The bedroom on the third floor only allowed three people to sleep comfortably, and Austin was the volunteer to sleep on the couch. Now that he was gone, it left an odd, empty feeling in the room. It was much too quiet anymore.

"Did Sarah go to bed already?" asked Esteban.

Gary glanced over, noticed the clock, and gently nodded. "Half hour ago." He watched as the malamute slipped out of his seat and shut down his computer.

"I guess I'm not too far behind her," he admitted, wiping his face with his towel. "Just wanted to wind down after my shower. But I need to wait for my suit to finish up in the dryer."

Esteban sat down in the armchair and let out a long breath. His feathers were incredibly soft right out of the shower, but that's not why he was poking around his arms and chest. That aura of disappointment soon came back.

"Hey Gary?"

The malamute stopped and looked over at him.

"Can I ask you something?"

Gary shrugged. "Sure."

"Am I getting better?"

"Better…?" echoed Gary, cocking his head.

"I feel like I've been training my entire life and don't have anything to show for it," explained Esteban.

While Gary understood the frustration and lack of motivation lacing the bird's words, he merely shrugged again. "Not very many people can bike as much as you can," he commented. He seemed to be at a loss for words… like he didn't know exactly what to say to him.

Esteban just shrugged his shoulders too. "I just don't look the way I feel. I feel great, but it doesn't look like I do what I do."

Gary frowned slightly. "Well, looks aren't everything. If that's what you're gauging over everything else, you won't see what good you've done for yourself."

"What good?" Esteban seemed frustrated. "I've felt the same for years. Nothing's changed."

"Well, you've been eating more," Gary remarked, a grin appearing. "Training more too. That's gotta count for something?"

Esteban just listened while staring at the floor.

"Just keep up the good work," Gary said encouragingly, holding out a balled hand. Esteban tiredly returned it. "Things'll turn around."

"I hope so," muttered Esteban.

"Remember to turn off the washer and dryer when you're done," added Gary.

"Okay."

Gary's footsteps slowly faded away as he ascended the stairs. Just as fast as they did, however, another set replaced them. Guess Sarah wasn't asleep yet after all. She came down in a shirt that was way too many sizes big for her. Hell, it almost looked too big for Gary. The sleeves were well past her elbows, the trim past her knees, and the collar left her entire midriff fluff exposed. She didn't seem to mind though. She always joked about not having a chest to cover up anyway. In a way, she was right.

Esteban opened his mouth to talk to her, but she darted into the bathroom and shut the door before any words could get to his brain. A few minutes later, she popped right back out.

"How was the biking?" she asked almost immediately. The bottom of her shirt waved while her tail gently wagged behind her.

"Great," he happily answered, trying to assume some false confidence for her. It definitely felt weird though. He hated lying, especially to her. "I feel like I'm getting better every day."

"That's great to hear," replied Sarah, tugging at her dress of a shirt. "I'd love to join you soon."

"That would be awesome," Esteban said with flared feathers. "I push more with company."

"I've been meaning to get going more with training lately," the wolf admitted, lazily throwing herself on the couch. "I haven't been feeling well for a while, and it really kills my mood."

Esteban nodded. "There have been days where I feel like that too," he explained to try to shift the guilt he could see stemming from her away. "It's more about not wanting to break the routine. I've been doing it for five years, and every time I feel like I don't want to, I feel guilty. Like I'm failing myself."

Sarah giggled. Such an adorable little giggle. "I'll be sure to ride with you sometime soon."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

:§:

* * *

Damn, past midnight again. Well, so much for that sleep schedule. It worked when it could.

At this point, Sarah didn't even bother to try to sleep.

The small bedroom on the top floor managed to cram three beds, a handful of dressers, a small TV, and a floor rug inside. They just barely fit; barely meaning that the door to get inside bumped against the frame of Gary's bed if the door opened wider than sixty degrees. Both Sarah's and Esteban's beds were stacked on top of each other along the back wall, with Sarah taking the bottom bunk. In the gap between their beds and Gary's, a lone, tiny desk resided. The basic rectangular floor rug filled the space their beds couldn't. Against the wall of the door rested a few dressers and drawers. Sarah almost always had the TV on while she was in bed, even if she was sleeping.

Her bed was her sanctuary. In addition to her pillow along the headboard, she had two extra pillows pressed against the wall to bridge the gap between that and her mattress. Those were covered up by a comforter, two more smaller blankets, and a pile of spare clothes yet to be either put away or washed. That wasn't including the blanket bunched at the foot of her bed, the blanket she slept with, and the blanket covering the metal bedframe. She had a cubby behind her head too. A box of tissues, a glass of water, and a handful of assorted pills usually lived there. Oh, and her little handheld game, but she was using that now.

When she sat with her legs crossed, her ears just barely grazed the frame of Esteban's bed. Her tail curled into her lap as the light from her screen lit up her face. The light from the silent TV made sure to light up the rest of her. At this point, she was playing her game in anticipation that it will eventually put her to sleep. She'd play all night until that happened.

Gary was fast asleep, pressed against the wall with an extra pillow in his arms. Esteban still hadn't entered the room. Last time she saw him, he was filling up a couple glasses of water from the kitchen tap. As usual, that translated into an odd feeling of loneliness.

She was never alone though. She always had Justin.

Justin was the feral wolf plush by her side. As big as her head, and just as soft as the fluff on her cheeks. The poor plush had seen some years though. The tail had a gash almost as long as the tail itself, the left eye was missing, the right ear was hanging on by hasty stitching, and the white and gray fur looked matted and old. But it was still Justin. Justin would never leave her bedside, even if her bedside was moving every other month. Justin stayed in her arms at night for well over ten years, and she didn't have any plans of changing that anytime soon. While blankets and pillows came and went, Justin stayed around to keep her strong.

Her sister bought Justin for her days before her first extensive visit to the hospital back home on Corneria. She remembers that day vividly, and probably won't ever forget it for as long as she lives. Maybe she'll tell someone other than herself one day…

A streak of light slowly crept onto the floor. Sarah looked up to see Esteban quietly and cautiously slipping into the bedroom. Knowing Gary was an extremely heavy sleeper, the she-wolf whispered:

"Goodnight Esto."

The glow of the TV outlined the cardinal's soft, fresh-out-of-the-shower feathers. He looked incredibly soft. While she was imagining cuddling with a pillow made exactly out of those soft, downy feathers, she caught his tired grin.

"How come you're still awake?" he asked.

"Never been able to sleep well," admitted Sarah. "And with everything going on now, it just makes it worse."

"Aww, I'm sorry," Esteban sincerely replied. "Anything I can do to help? Massage? Warm milk?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not now. But thank you."

"Just let me know," he added. He gave Sarah a gentle pat on the knee, then scaled the desk pressed against the back of the bed in order to get to his bunk. Sarah had to duck a little bit to wait for Esteban to get comfortable up there, otherwise she'd hit her head on the flexing metal frame. A few minutes after that, Esteban fell silent.

And once again, that odd feeling fell upon her again. What did she ever do to deserve this?

She turned her game off and decided to try to sleep on her own. Knowing the two guys were asleep, she shed herself of any and all clothing she still had on. The annoying fabric would keep her tossing and turning, more so than her mind already did to her. After piling her dress of a shirt and her delicates on the floor with every other piece of dirty clothes she had worn over the week, she hid herself under her blanket and held Justin tight to her chest.

For a good hour, Sarah stayed awake. Thinking. Wondering. Worrying. She caught herself trying to have another panic attack. The situation she found herself in was so odd, yet worrying and dangerous. Knowing that she really couldn't do anything to help without putting herself in great danger made her feel awful. She almost wanted to cry. That wouldn't be the first time Justin would have to deal with tears at night.

She thought better of it, and after a while of tossing and turning, Sarah finally fell asleep.

* * *

:§:

* * *

Rain, shine, holiday, work day, hurricane, apocalypse, or any other kind of day, always count on Gary Duncan to be awake at precisely 8:35 every morning. Five minutes later, he would roll on his side to take a glance out the window on the other side of the room to see what the day would be like. Two minutes would pass before he'd get out of bed, toss on a shirt and pants, and begin the day the only way he knew how. With a fresh cup of coffee.

It didn't matter what time Gary went to bed, nor how many hours he slept while in bed. His routine was solidly in place, and deviating from it would throw his entire day out of whack. Though, not being called in to work for going on two weeks now left a lot to be desired for the malamute. He almost thought about trying to sleep in since he didn't have anything else better to do. But his normal schedule was so important to his wellbeing that he didn't want to change anything for fear of messing himself up. Guess he just had to fill the time while the sun slowly rose above the buildings.

Gary wandered back into the bedroom to grab a towel for his shower. His peripherals caught Sarah sound asleep, but in an odd way. She always seemed to sleep with her back to the wall, but that wasn't what was wrong. Her blanket was halfway off her, and if it wasn't for the stuffed animal she was hugging against her chest, she'd be in a very indecent situation. He felt sorry for her, and gently pulled the covers over her shoulder, careful not to wake her up. She had a hard time sleeping as is.

After a brisk shower, Gary… didn't know what to do. Not going in for work was starting to wear on him. He did everything he wanted to do, and now he was left bored. Oh well.

Something had to change. He went in for his usual training and positioning, but as soon as he thought they needed him most, he sits. Hadn't called him in yet. Chances were that he'd never get that call at this rate. It was so infuriating. He wanted to help.

Damn, he didn't even have any little things to do. He fixed the bathroom door. Sarah's car was great. Esteban's tires were fresh. The house seemed spotless. What else was there to do?

The bedroom door slowly peeled in, followed by the inevitable thud of the door hitting his bedframe. A groggy Sarah stepped out, clad in a bathrobe tightly hugging her body. She yawned, blinked about a dozen times, then grinned at Gary.

"Mornin'," he nodded.

"Good morning," she murmured, essentially still sleeping. She took a seat at the bar counter.

"Breakfast?" asked Gary.

"I'd love some."

It only took a few minutes for Chef Gary to prepare food. Scrambled eggs, fried potato, and that golden toast that was ever so slightly blackened on the one side. The glorious scent swirling around in the confides of the kitchen was enough to resurrect Esteban. He came out just as he had gone to bed the night before, but with a key difference. His recently cleaned feathers were scattered, no matter where they were. His right eye was obstructed by gravity pulling the plume on his head back down.

"Wanna hear something ridiculous?" Gary asked after everyone had sat down with food.

"Depends…" replied Sarah.

"We lost another island cluster last night."

Sarah cupped her head while Esteban let a wing fall limp on the table, rattling the silverware.

"I know, ridiculous," added Gary.

"I didn't want to hear that," Sarah moaned into her hands, furiously shaking it.

"Austin's team sent me that message this morning," the malamute elaborated. "Fell off the grid at three hundred hours."

"Anything new at all?" inquired Esteban.

"Nothin'."

Esteban sighed in defeat.

"But knowing Austin, he's way over himself," said Gary. "Hate to say it, but I don't see him coming back if this keeps goin'."

"Gary," Sarah seemed to scold.

"No use in arguing the inevitable," he shrugged, sipping his coffee. She continued to glare.

"So… what?" Esteban broke in. "What all do we know?"

Gary shrugged again. "Islands don't report anything until they're off the grid, and by then anythin' could happen. It's like a curtain drops over them islands."

Sarah exhaled.

"I ain't been noticing anything weird," he added. "Y'know, anything here that would stand out. Cable, power, internet, telecomm lines… anythin' that might let us get information out. I have good reason to believe this is an attack of some sort, and whoever is behind it doesn't want us to know. That's what I think's happenin' to them islands. Y'all know how those movies go. There's a reason why them movies use that trope over and over again."

Esteban and Sarah just stared and listened.

"Or… I could be completely wrong and overthinkin' things," he finished, biting down on another forkful of food. "Just a string of odd coincidences…"

"That's not helpful," Sarah murmured.

Gary licked his chops. "If I knew all the details, I'd tell you everything I know. All I can do is… speculate."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," said Esteban. "If there's nothing we can do, then why stress so much? I'd just let time pass until we know more."

"But that's the thing," Sarah broke in. "What if Gary is right? If we sit here and wait, then it'll be too late to act if we need to."

"If they needed us to act, they'd be bangin' down our door asking us to put our uniforms on," Gary sad into his coffee cup.

"Exactly!" Esteban gestured to the canine. "If they knew we were under attack, they'd call us in."

"But what if they _don't_ know?" said Sarah. "You said it best, Gary, the islands fall off the grid before they can tell us anything. And Austin told me that any recon squads fall the same way. You can't sit there and tell me this is just a string of coincidences."

Gary rolled his jaw.

"I'm just saying that we really shouldn't just sit here."

"Then what should we do instead?"

Sarah didn't answer.

"Exactly my point. I agree with Esto here. There's nothin' we can do but wait."

"You know I don't like sitting idle when there's shit going down."

Gary shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell you. I don't like sittin' around either, but it's not like I can do anything else. I have orders to stand by until our base needs us to act. So do you."

"And what if they never call?"

"Then they never needed us to act."

"You can't think it's _that_ simple."

"I _don't_ think it's that simple, but I can't say otherwise because that'd make me a liar, and I ain't a liar. Like I said, I don't know. All I can do is speculate. Speculatin' ain't lyin' unless you start tellin' people that it's the truth."

Sarah's ears dropped.

"I do agree with Esto though," Gary added. "Just take it simple for now, and we'll act when the time comes. But for now, just relax and enjoy the time off. Esto and I will do the same, m'kay?"

Sarah reluctantly nodded, but couldn't look either of them in the eye. "Okay."

* * *

:§:

* * *

Sarah needed to go back to the grocery store again. Both Gary and Esteban noticed new things in the weekly ads. Gary was in a cooking mood and needed a few extra ingredients, while Esteban was developing more of an appetite and would probably clean the cupboards out within a week. A much shorter shopping list than yesterday, but still a trip out there. Luckily it wasn't far away.

She turned out of the radio dead-zone her street fell under and… still nothing. Oddly enough, her radio didn't kick back on. She took a glance down, and the display still read there was no signal. Maybe the radio was having a bad signal day. Those were rare, but not unheard of.

She got all the way down to the block before the grocery store and still didn't have a working radio. That was a whole six minutes with an apparent "no signal." Sarah didn't like that. She was already on-edge because of everything happening. The slightest things that went wrong sent her mind on overdrive. This was no exception. Her unbridled skepticism blew completely open as if on cue, and her previously cluttered mind started to spitball possible ideas as to why her radio didn't want to work this morning. Luckily she was able to subdue her outburst by the time she found a parking space.

Oh gods above it was only going to get worse, wasn't it?

There were a lot of empty shelves. Way too many open shelves for this kind of grocery store. For a store in this populated of an area, the lack of goods was concerning. They always had it stocked full. Well, the essentials like bread and milk were all but cleaned out, and every other row of food showed a rack of empty air. She was able to find most of what Gary and Esteban wanted—thankfully—but the lack of items on the shelves was still worrying. At least to Sarah, who still couldn't figure out why her radio didn't work.

Upon checking out with her small load of items, she awkwardly started speaking to one of the employees: "Your shelves seemed a little empty this morning."

The older-looking canine simply nodded. "Our weekly shipment was supposed to be here two days ago but never showed."

"Any idea why?"

"No idea. We called our supplier and even they didn't know. Told us the ship just… disappeared."

Sarah's heart gained a thousand pounds and fell through her stomach. "Disappeared?" she echoed with a shaky voice.

"Yes… it's very odd. I don't think it's ever happened here. At least for how long I've been working here, and that's a little longer than I care to admit," he finished with a chuckle.

Sarah laughed along, but it sure wasn't sincere.

With her groceries bagged, Sarah returned to her SUV. The radio still didn't respond. Now it was worrying. Refusing to admit she was panicking, she fished her phone out and made a call she knew how to toss into her keypad all too well.

"Hi Sarah!" the voice on the other end exclaimed. It was Courtney, her sister. Her voice was much softer, as if their mother removed the grit out of her genes after Sarah was born so Courtney could have some kind of differentiating trait. Well, Sarah sapped all the anxiety out of their genes so Courtney could be as chill as possible, if that was a definition of differentiating. It reflected in her voice, which is why Sarah called her often. Just her voice alone could calm a potential attack.

"I need a favor from you," Sarah said, wasting no time at all.

"Sure, what's up?"

"How soon can you get to Southern Island?"

Courtney hesitated. "Why?"

"My base hasn't called me in to work for over a week, and I don't see it changing anytime soon. I'd like to go home for a weekend."

"That's… odd," remarked Courtney. "That's not like your base to do. Is something wrong out there? I mean, I know that there's been a lot of talk about Zonessian islands losing signal. Is that what's wrong?"

"Well, yeah, kinda," Sarah admitted. "I'm a bit worried about it. But I feel so hopeless sitting here when I know I could be doing something. If they don't want me, then I'd want to rest up at home so I'll be completely ready when they need me again."

"You just want to be safe, don't you?"

"…How'd you know?"

"It's not like I grew up with you all my life or anything," joked Courtney. "I know you too well."

Sarah shifted in her seat. "I guess you're right. But this whole thing is so screwy. I don't know what to make of it, and every time I try to tell my team they just tell me to relax and not worry about it. I know there's something going on and I can't keep calm with something like that out there. Now they just think I'm crazy."

"Listen, I understand," Courtney started. "I believe you. I've supported you with everything, and I mean _everything_ in _every_ sense of the word. You know exactly what I mean by that. I sure as hell won't stop now, especially after everything else we've gone through. If you're feeling stressed out, I'll be happy to fly out and get you out of there."

Sarah breathed. "Thank you."

"Though it won't be overnight," Courtney added. "I need to clear time from my schedule. It might be another four or five days for you before I even get a chance, but I'll try my best."

Sarah didn't feel all that relieved at first, but it gradually set in. "That sounds good. Listen, Court, I appreciate you doing this."

"Don't thank me yet; I still need to get out there," Courtney giggled a bit. "If it gets worse, let me know, and I'll make an emergency trip out there as soon as possible. If not, just count on me being there in just under a week, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Have fun sis. Tell Gary I said hi for me."

And a silent radio on the way back home.

* * *

:§:

* * *

The view was a bit different this time around. Instead of coming across an explosive sunset, Esteban drifted to a stop at his intersection mesmerized by a partially cloud covered moonrise. Guess the end view changes when the destination is altered.

Esteban decided to spice up this ride, opting to take a longer route along the northern coast. He passed by his usual exit by the expensive beachfront villas and high-end buildings and continued westbound along the freeway. The farther west he biked, the closer he encroached on his usual day job location. The joint naval base on the northern tip of the island.

While pushing himself as much as he could, he glanced out and eyed the base from the freeway. The occasional streetlights nailed to the guardrail streaked by, but never intruded on his gaze. The base sat flat along the rocky northern coast, covering as much of the harsh terrain as it physically could without being too overbearing. After all, it was only a joint base, so it could get away with having a single airstrip spanning almost the entirety of the westbound highway merely a few meters to the south. From above, the highway could almost be confused for that runway. Good thing that runway was almost never used anymore. Most pilots used the airfield beyond the shipyard. They just used that runway to get to the supply docking warehouse.

The base appeared to be a factory at first glance, minus the smokestacks a factory would normally have. A trio of warehouses lined up along the eastern side of the building. A relatively short tower nestled itself in the nook between the runway, the main building, and the shipyard to the west. Once past the main building, it was apparent that this part of the island was a cleverly disguised military base.

Esteban missed his perch up in that tower. The northwest part of the island was always his favorite place to gaze at. From the sunrises in the morning to the nights where he could see all three Zonessian moons peer over the horizon. From the days of clear skies and comfort to the tropical storms that would slam into the shipyard. There was always something that popped out at him that made staring into screens, gauges, and the same consoles every other day seem rewarding.

Every day Esteban would see something, and not just the daily supply shipments or the occasional fighter jet scramble. It wasn't just the daily grind of controlling the skies around that base or directing the day-to-day activities of that single airstrip. He'd see a lot of Mother Nature. He'd watch her acts of kindness and her punishing trials. He learned a lot from it too. Like differentiating the heavy, fluffy clouds way up in the sky from the wispy, low hanging clouds that always seemed to blow in before a storm was about to hit. Like the difference between when the rain would come in from the west or the north. Even the slightest difference of which moon decided to rise first at night meant something to him. He could tell you something about each little thing. By no means was he an expert. He couldn't tell you the exact scientific reason why there were darker clouds in the sky than the day before, but he could make a guess that a storm was about to hit from that kind of evidence. He could tell you that it would get a bit cooler in the coming days if the wind was travelling from the south. He could tell you that the wind would be stronger on a day that the third moon rose first. He could even tell you at approximately what time a stray shower would hit the base from what the clouds were doing hours before. He enjoyed it. It was his fun during an otherwise mediocre job with seemingly unbearable coworkers.

He missed that. It's been almost two weeks since he had that kind of fun. When would they call him back in?

The base was long behind him when he stopped thinking about it. Just in time for him to hit his exit.

It was a bit odd how in just the span of a couple kilometers, the high-income district trailed off into the slums of the island. Just the day before, Esteban had biked through the leisure of the wealthy, and now only five kilometers down the way, he was biking through the struggles of those who made a fraction of what the wealthy made in a single day in their entire lifetime. The views weren't as great as what he'd get biking through the former district, but this route made more sense to him. After all, it wasn't too long ago that he found himself in this exact situation. A lot of those he passed during his ride won't ever get as lucky as Esteban did. To abandon the hell this was and pursue a dream.

Revisiting his roots and seeing how far he had come made him happy, oddly enough. Though, he felt incredibly sorry for those he passed by in a mere blur. As much as he wanted to help, there wasn't much he could do. He knew. Many had tried to help, only for the slums to eat up whatever help they had got. They needed a miracle, and he was in short supply.

Nevertheless,

He hurt more than yesterday. Well, go figure. His route today was well over double the length of his last ride. Not to mention that he continued to push himself as he always did, no matter what he felt. Get better. Bike harder. It was always the same set of commands. Go faster. Feel stronger. Get better. Get better. Go. Go. Go.

A low growl formed in his throat. Go faster. He hated himself. His arms and legs wouldn't go the way he wanted them to. They fought, they struggled, and they hurt like all hell. He picked his speed up, blowing by intersections and people alike without a care in the world for anyone other than himself and his determination to improve. Work. The wind whipped at his face. Sweat pooled in places it shouldn't. Pain eclipsed every conceivable part of him until he was damn near screaming as he tore down street after street.

Get better. Keep going. Keep going! Go.

Go!

GO!

 ** _SHIT!_**

He snapped his pedals backward, peeling his tires against the asphalt. His body lurched, but the adrenalin kept his tail glued to the seat. He instinctively dug a boot into the ground. He leaned to a side and spun. The rubber wailed in discontent, shredding residue in his wake. He clamped his eyes shut. Everything fought him, but he managed to force himself and his bike to a grinding halt after nearly topping breakneck speeds not even a minute ago. His body lurched again. Two lanes of cars rolled on in front of him, oblivious to the cardinal. Missed by a foot at most.

Esteban panted and gasped for breath. Damn, even his lungs felt like they had just benched 200. Any cool air seemed like it hit a wall before it got to him, and that wall was the waves of pain covering every part of him. One ache stood above the others. The ankle he just planted into the ground to keep himself from getting run over. He could already feel it swelling in his suit. He attempted to step on the sidewalk, only for a bullet of pain to shoot his leg. There was more snapping. It wasn't the frame of his bike. It was _his_ frame. That ankle was undoubtedly broken. Damn it.

Another five kilometers to go until home. Esteban limped back, careful to not injure his already destroyed left ankle. The rest of his ride was leisure at best. Methodically riding back as if it was his job to be as slow and as careful as possible. All the while, he attempted to nurse his wounds. It was hard to when _everything_ hurt. By the time he got within six blocks of home, he could barely feel his left leg, let alone put any weight onto it. That was about to be a nightmare to deal with.

Esteban left his bike in the middle of the garage. He dragged himself to the door, then hopped up the stairs, almost knowing that his other leg could buckle at the slightest moment. Fire enveloped his muscles. Pain numbed his fingers. This was the worst he'd ever felt.

Upon getting to the top of the stairs, he collapsed onto the hardwood floor. Agonized, he slammed his arm on the floor, desperate for rest. His implied cries for help attracted Sarah from the top floor.

"Esto!" she yipped. "What happened?"

"It's broke," he moaned, pulling himself to sit along the wall. "My ankle is shattered."

"Oh no," cried Sarah. "I-I-I don't know if-if I can help. I-I mean, Austin is the medic, and he knows what to do but he's not here to—"

"Sarah, relax," Esteban interrupted, cringing as he attempted to move. "Right now, I need a shower, okay? I'm not gonna get rest if I feel like this. Can you help me up?"

"Oh, sure, sure, sure," she stammered, clambering up to her feet. She cautiously held Esteban's arm, pulling him up with his guidance. She then slung the bird's left arm over her shoulder and acted as his crutch to get to the bathroom.

"Ow. Easy."

"Sorry," her ears flattened. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could help more."

"Believe me, you're helping," he flashed a pain-stricken smile.

She guided him into the bathroom. There wasn't much else she could do aside from turn the water on. Esteban thanked her, then took his shower as best as he could. It was well over an hour before the water was shut off.

"Sarah, you still there?"

He leaned himself against the shower wall, heavy and dripping, but clean nonetheless. His other leg completely locked up. He couldn't move at all. Swallowing embarrassment, Esteban dried himself where he could and wrapped the towel around him.

Her muffled voice replied: "I'm here. You okay?"

"I need your help. I can't move anymore."

"Do… you want me to come in?"

"I don't see how you can help me out there," he sheepishly chuckled.

"Oh, okay, uh…"

"I'm fine, you can come in."

The door gingerly peeled inward, sucking the steam out. Her nose peered past the doorframe, clearly hesitant.

"I've got a towel on, it's okay," Esteban remarked.

Sarah crept around the door. "Yikes, you _did_ break something."

Yeah, it was swollen beyond belief and surely wasn't the same color as his vibrant red feathers. Esteban winced when he looked at it again. He felt more ashamed than anything. He felt so weak and vulnerable now that he needed Sarah's help to do the most basic, mundane things. If his feathers weren't red, he'd be visibly blushing.

"What do you need me for, Esto?" she asked. Esteban hesitated. Her voice. That iconic grit was gone. Her voice was so much more pleasant than before. She appeared to be gentler in the way she moved and reacted as well. It was pretty clear she was scared and didn't know what to do.

"Come here," he instructed. She did as she was told. "Now hold still." The cardinal eased himself over and used Sarah as a crutch. With her guidance, he stepped past the glass door and onto the floor. He buckled in pain, but Sarah caught him and kept him from hitting his head.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I am now," he forced a grin. "Thanks."

"Do you need me for anything else?" she prodded, seemingly desperate to help.

"I hate to ask," he started, feeling his face warm up. "But can you help me get my shorts on?"

She giggled to break the tension. "Erm, I guess so…"

"Sorry, I just—"

"No, no, it's fine, don't apologize," she interjected. "You're hurt, I'm trying to help. What do you need?"

"Compression shorts; second drawer down on the left side."

She was gone for under a minute.

The next couple of minutes were awkward in every sense and definition of the word. Embarrassment shone bright between both of them, with Esteban reluctant to cooperate fully and Sarah unable to keep her eyes steady for more than a half-second. It took the both of them well over five minutes to do a job that would take mere seconds for someone to do on their own.

Clothed—mostly—and clean, Esteban had Sarah guide him to the couch so he could finally rest. She took the liberty to bag a load of ice and wrap the cardinal's shattered ankle in it, hoping to quell the swelling and pain. It was almost midnight by the time they both settled down.

"Hey, thanks for your help," he remarked. Sarah sat down just in front of his stomach and smiled back.

"You're welcome."

"Sorry that I'm an idiot."

She visibly recoiled. "Esto, don't talk like that. It was an accident."

"That I could have prevented."

"It happens," the wolf assured. "Just be happy you're in good hands."

Esteban didn't budge. "It's hard to be happy anymore," he commented, almost under his breath. "Try my best to get in the best shape of my life, and that all goes to hell with one stupid mistake. Is so frustrating, you really don't understand."

Sarah frowned. "Well, you are in very good shape. You know that, right?"

"Not as good as I want to be."

"What?" she scoffed. "Esto, you are in amazing shape! Just look at you!"

All the cardinal saw was a pole-like body and a bum leg. There wasn't much else of value he could spot. "I guess," he grunted just to keep her happy. It didn't work.

"No, Esto, look at yourself," she said with reignited interest. She forced his arms off his chest and pointed at his ventral feathers. "You are fit beyond belief. You might even be better than Austin right now."

Esteban faked a laugh and rolled onto his back. "Austin is strong. Austin has the looks that would get him on a magazine. He's _fit_ , okay? I'm not, and I need to work on—"

"No, you are," she argued. "You're not him. If you compare everything to him, then you won't be happy. Esto, trust me here. You look good."

She stood up and wandered over to the window. Esteban could only see her out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she was lost in thought, but not the good kind. Like the thoughts that you don't ever want to deal with alone. He knew a lot about those. They weren't fun.

She suddenly said, "You've gone a long way."

"Me?" he said out of instinct.

Sarah nodded. "Esto, just between you and me, but…" she paused for a while, so much so that he almost thought she had left him in silence. She returned soon after, sitting on the coffee table to better see the bird. "I'm jealous of how great you look. I don't think I could ever get that fit in my life, no matter what I do." She frowned again. "It makes me feel sad that you can't see that. You're amazing, and if you keep pushing yourself like this for no reason, you're going to keep getting hurt like right now."

Esteban blinked. "Wow, I… I didn't know… I just wanted to—"

"Listen, just take it easy, okay?" Sarah butted in. "It hurts to see you like this, it really does. I care a lot about you, so promise me you won't try to hurt yourself again? Whether you meant to or not, it doesn't matter. Just please promise me?"

Esteban saw the worry in her voice. That wasn't what convinced him. It was her eyes. Those blue orbs stared back at him with the concern of a young mother watching over her child. An odd realization, yes, but it did strike a chord with him. She did have a lot of motherly instincts and advice naturally hardwired into her mind. She may be a moody teenager with the ADHD of a middle school student more often than not, but there was that one instance every so often that would prove why she was in the position she was in. She had heart, and lots of it. Esteban had to say—

"Okay. I promise."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

She watched her get up and move off to the stairs. She stopped at the base though.

"Oh, and Esto?"

"Yeah?"

Silence for a few seconds.

"I'd rather see you on that magazine than Austin," she blurted out.

Before he had time to question her about her odd comment, she disappeared upstairs.

* * *

:§:

* * *

The storms came back the next day.

Relentless this time around. Air pressure and temperature alike dropped dramatically, forcing strong winds and heavy rains ashore. Typical for Zonessian islands during this season. Those cloudless skies were nothing more than a memory now. Thick clouds and rain ruled the sky today. Surely it would be like that tomorrow. It would be another three or four days before this system passed judging by how slow it moved.

Esteban watched Mother Nature aggressively water her flowers from the kitchen counter. _Literally_ the kitchen counter. Gary hauled him upstairs to get him some food and to check out his injury, so he sat him on the countertop to examine his mangled ankle. Gary didn't know much, but he knew more than either he or Sarah knew. It was worth a shot to check out his ankle. Maybe some good news could come from it.

Gary gently moved the bandaged ankle, bending where he could and studying the cardinal's reactions. Almost every movement he made elicited a wince from the bird, even sometimes at a mere touch. Though, the pain seemed to fade away after a few minutes. Esteban insisted that it was his brain not wanting to feel pain anymore.

After a long handful of minutes, Gary breathed, "It's not broken. Just sprained it real good."

"Well… that's better, I guess…" commented Esteban, not entirely relieved, but still relieved enough to regain that grin of his. The pain numbed his face a bit, so the grin looked very pitiful.

"Just keep it iced," Gary reminded. "You should feel better in a few, but take it easy until then. All the base's doctors are over on the main island, and I ain't takin' ya to the hospital here. Too much money y'all don't have."

Esteban nodded. He didn't make any effort to get off the countertop.

"What'd you do to it anyway?"

"Just me being stupid."

"Well, we all do stupid stuff. No need to beat yourself up over it."

"Just sucks that I'm grounded here. You know I can't stand staying cooped up like this."

"I know. Listen, just give yourself a break. I haven't seen you settle down ever since we set up shop here. You're bound to wear yourself out, and this is a good example of it."

Esteban didn't reply.

Sarah poked her head up from the stairs. "How is it Esto?"

"Sprained, not broken," he answered.

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good. That's not as bad as I thought it was." She scurried up the stairs and unceremoniously dumped herself onto the counter next to the cardinal. She waited until Gary left the kitchen before she gave Esteban a half-hug; careful not to hurt him.

"I still can't use it," grumbled Esteban. "And that just ruins me. Can't run, can't bike, can't…"

He just trailed off and shook his head. Just thinking about it made his head spin even more than it already was. Things all over the island were starting to get screwy out of nowhere, the planet was slowly going radio silent, and now he can't even walk from one end of the house to the other. Not only did it frustrate him to no end, it started to eat at feelings he thought he had buried a long time ago.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts just in time to see Sarah set a glass bottle of booze next to his leg.

"How long has that been here?"

Sarah shrugged. "Got it whenever we moved in I think. Thought it might ease your pain."

Esteban shook his head again. "I don't drink."

Sarah blinked. "Oh."

"Though I appreciate the thought," he hastily added. Sarah still put it back anyway. He turned his head to watch her.

While reaching up to put the bottle in the top cabinet, Esteban got a good look at her face. Even she had that demeanor about her… as if there was something wrong, yet so general that it couldn't be addressed enough to make a difference in the long run. If she'd turn to look at him, he might as well stare into a mirror. There wouldn't be much of a difference.

Her eyes. Tired, worried, empty. They've dulled in days past. They used to be so blue. He'd always remember her while staring into the sky on weekend bike rides. Always see that gorgeous sky whenever he'd talk to her. Now they might as well be as grey as the clouds outside. As seemingly lifeless as the storm. Well, the storm didn't help matters either.

She wasn't smiling. When was the last time she smiled? Probably sometime before the islands started disappearing from the grid. He missed that smile. That smile was something supernatural. Contagious. Nearly any situation conceivable could be brightened with one flash of her teeth. He couldn't explain it any better than she could, which wasn't well anyway. But it didn't need to be explained. It was just warming.

As much as he knew that there really wasn't much he could do to change it, he hated the low morale in the house ever since last night. Part of him wanted nothing more than to blame it on himself and himself alone. That part had dominance, as the other part meekly reminded him that it wasn't just him. Still, he had to beat himself up over it, contrary to Gary's advice. How else would he learn? The stupid mistakes he'd make needed to stop. It only caused more grief to everyone, and the fact that they were easily preventable made it more imperative.

"Esto?"

He blinked and craned his neck back around. More concern rested on Sarah's face.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just… thinking…"

Sarah climbed back on the counter. "About?"

"It's nothing," he said on impulse.

"Aw, come on, it's something to me," Sarah insisted.

"I-I don't want to ramble," Esteban continued to defend. "Believe me, it's nothing you want to hear."

"What makes you think I don't want to hear it?" inquired Sarah. Her happy, friendly voice didn't match her concerned face. She really wanted him to talk. He didn't. Someone had to lose.

He shifted. "I'm just… upset."

"…About?"

Esteban grunted. "What _isn't_ upsetting right now?"

Sarah could only nod. "I know…"

The cardinal looked down at his legs. Soon after, he felt her arm drape over his neck.

"You're sure you don't want to talk?"

Esteban hesitated. "Maybe another day. I just want to rest for now."

She forced a weak smile. "Okay. Here, I'll help you downstairs."

* * *

:§:

* * *

The next day the internet died. Gary's computer was borderline useless aside from the games he normally played, so he didn't pay much mind to the unusual irregularity. Because of Esteban's injury and Sarah's reluctance to settle her whirring mind, the next couple days involved nothing more than eating, goofing off, sleeping, and watching movies on the TV.

Sarah and Esteban grew closer in the meantime. Since Esteban was grounded—quite literally—it left a surplus of time for the two to talk. Different posts in the Force didn't cultivate this behavior very well. This was one of the very few times the two had a moment of peace. Refreshing, their talks were. It served more to assure the both of them that they still found life fun in their own ways. The movies, they got boring after a while. In that time, they only served to encouraged the stories they told each other. Overall, despite the shady garbage surrounding them, the past few days were enjoyable purely based on their interactions.

The week was almost over. Those beautiful skies and gorgeous temperatures were long since forgotten in favor of the usual bi-weekly feeble tropical storm. Nothing serious. Just occasional waves of rainfall, overbearing humidity during the daytime hours, and lots of time not even bothering to look at the windows. The view outside never changed. Overcast nearly every minute of every day.

"Don't drink the water."

Gary's sudden warning came off as just that; sudden. Both Esteban and Sarah looked confused, until the malamute held up a glass. The water inside had an odd film to it, grossly discolored, with a swirl of disgusting particles. It looked more like sewage rather than water, but Gary insisted it came straight from the tap.

"Don't wash your hands today," he continued earnestly. "Don't wash any clothes. Don't even take a shower. The water is bad."

"What happened?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Gary commented. "I'll switch our water reserve to the well water, but don't use any of the water today. That'll be good to use by tomorrow, but be mindful of how you use it. It won't last very long if the city can't fix this."

Once Gary disappeared upstairs, Sarah abruptly stood up. "What's happening?" she questioned. Voice trembling, arms shaking, eyes wobbling, Sarah was very evidently bothered. She looked to be seconds away from either crying or having a total mental breakdown.

Esteban did his best to quell her worries. "Sarah, easy, it's—"

"The islands are dropping," Sarah began to ramble with a cracking voice. "We're losing people. We're not getting supply shipments. We lost our radio, our satellite, our internet. Now we don't even have clean water?! Something clearly isn't right and we still don't even know why!"

Esteban tried to hush her, but she was too far gone in her rant.

"I can't deal with this anymore," she cried, cupping her head. "I'm scared, confused, worried, and, and, and—"

"Sarah—" Esteban raised his voice. He stood up to comfort her, only to buckle. By sheer instinct did Sarah save Esteban from hitting his head on the table. While it wasn't his intention, it sure snapped the wolf back to her senses.

"Sarah, please; you're going to give yourself another panic attack," Esteban grimaced. He really didn't know if his plea had much authority given that the person he was giving the plea to was holding him up. He had a hard time judging Sarah's expression. The initial panic seemed to dull into sheer shock. Deer in the headlights. She didn't know what to say, let alone how to react. All she did was ease Esteban back onto his couch.

Esteban didn't let go of her hand. "Listen, just calm down a second," he started with genuine concern. "I'm worried too, okay? But getting all worked up about it won't help. We just need to stay calm and—"

"Esto, we can't just sit here and stay calm," she retorted. "We need to act."

"It's not like I don't want to," rebuked Esteban. "It's just that we can't do anything. This is all way out of our control."

"But acting like nothing is wrong won't help anyone."

"I wasn't acting like nothing was wrong, I'm just saying—"

"Then why aren't you worried sick right now? Tomorrow we could all die and we wouldn't know a thing!"

"I am worried, I just can't do anything to fix what's wrong, okay? Just please—"

They both stopped when Gary tossed down a heavy bag at the doorway to the garage staircase. He paused to put on his heavy military jacket. A long enough pause for Sarah to inquire:

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going in whether they want my help or not," Gary answered flatly. "Shit is going wrong and nothing has gotten better. There has to be a reason why. If I'm not back in a week, then leave. Pack up and leave. But until then, just keep your fingers crossed."

With that, he picked up his bag and was gone. They didn't even have a chance to question further. Gary's truck started, pulled away from the house, then the engine's roar gradually dissipated.

And silence.

"I'm scared," was all that came out of Sarah's mouth. The rest that wanted to come out shriveled up into a broken squeak. She felt her heart crying out for help. Her mind immediately shifted into overdrive. Her lungs couldn't keep up. Vision blurred. Speech failed. All she could do was cry, but not even the tears would escape her eyes.

She couldn't feel Esteban's hands hold hers. She couldn't see the couch get closer to her. She couldn't know what that blob of red was saying to her, but all she saw was that blurred red get closer to her face and she wanted to scream more. The sounds stopped. Nothing worked but her mind, which knew nothing wanted to work and still freaked out about why they weren't working anyway. She couldn't escape it.

Then a sharp pain stabbed the side of her muzzle.

And just like that, her system kicked back on. Her blurred vision cleared up. Her covered ears spiked upwards. Her breathing calmed. Her heart snapped into rhythm. From the sensory meltdown, all that remained from it was her inability to utter a yip at the sensation on her face. She honestly didn't know what it was other than she knew it hurt like hell.

Then she saw Esteban. Wide-eyed, concern lacing his face, and visibly shaken up. The bottoms of his emerald green eyes welled tears. While the pain stinging her face brought some of the same, it only worsened when she saw his face. Only then did she know what exactly happened. He literally slapped her back to her senses.

"Sarah, I'm sorry, but I had to," sputtered Esteban. "You were having another attack. I was trying to help. Did I hurt you?"

"…ow," she mindlessly squeaked out.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," he pulled her close to hug her. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know what else to do."

He must have slapped the senses out of her because she still had trouble connecting some of the dots. Part of her tongue was numb, as was her face. She honestly couldn't believe that it happened, which is why the first coherent thing out of her mouth was:

"You're so soft…"

His feathers against the stinging side of her muzzle felt divine, which is why she didn't hear what came out of his beak in reply. He attempted to push her off, but she held on. She didn't want to let go. Esteban sat there after giving up, perplexed. Eventually she moved, looking dead into the cardinal's eyes.

"Thanks."

"…for?"

"For calming me down," she sincerely answered. She looked embarrassed, even though she tried not to look that way. Her tall ears pinned against the back of her head, she looked like she was being scolded. "I don't know why I freaked out so bad… I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry," Esteban interrupted. "I should be sorry for slapping you."

"I deserved it."

"No, you didn't," argued Esteban. "I shouldn't have to hit my friends. I just—"

"You did what you had to do," Sarah calmly reminded. "Listen, I'd do the same thing to you if you were in my situation. I'm just happy you did."

"I feel dirty," he commented.

"Don't be; be happy you helped me before it got worse," Sarah actually smiled. "I'm not mad at you, Esto."

"You should be," his eyes dropped. "I hurt you."

"And I'm a tough girl; I'll get over it," she replied, seemingly glowing after those words left her teeth. "I've had worse happen to me than a slap."

Esteban reluctantly accepted defeat on his case. "Well… I'm just glad you're okay."

"Not really, but there's nothing you can do to help it," Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "I'll have an ice cream bar and my face will be okay. I'm just worried sick about Gary now. What if we don't see him again?"

Esteban didn't know how to answer her.

"This whole situation…" she trailed off, trying not to get herself worked up again. "Sorry for swearing, but this whole situation is so fucked up. I don't know whether to be scared, cry, fight, or…"

"I think we should just stay calm," Esteban suggested. "No use getting worked up over something we can't change by ourselves. We had this discussion before."

"But the last time we did it wasn't this bad," Sarah reminded.

"I know, but…" he held her hand again. "But we're stronger than whatever is happening. Whoever or whatever is doing this to us doesn't matter. What matters is that whatever that is, isn't going to break us. We're stronger, Sarah. If we need to fight, we'll sure as hell fight. But right now, we don't. We need to stay calm. Does that make sense?"

She blinked. "I guess…"

"Good," he smirked. "Now let's go get you that ice cream."

* * *

:§:

* * *

Night was quickly encroaching again. With the sun lessening its burden, the clouds formed by evaporating sea water diminished. This was normal. Days were normally coated with overcast, while the night sky would showcase billions of stars. Sarah just happened to catch it in the middle of its transition. The sunset never ceased to be gorgeous.

It was nice to finally see the sun after all those storms rolled through. Well, not quite. This was just a mere break in the clouds, quite literally. The monsoon of precipitation finally decided to let up for a night, but a night only. Even though there was no local news ever since the cable cut out, it was apparent that the rain would be returning by tomorrow. Least it was a good idea to enjoy it while it lasted. Speaking of enjoying it…

"I want to go biking."

Sarah snapped her head around, baffled at what she just heard. "You _what_?"

"I want to go biking," repeated Esteban, surer than before.

"You can't be serious," Sarah almost spoke with disbelief. "Esto, your ankle is shattered."

"Gary said it was only sprained."

" _Only_?" she gaped, blinking profusely. "You should be resting regardless of what's wrong with it. I wouldn't even be walking if I were you."

Esteban shrugged. "I want to strengthen it," he stated. "It's not gonna get better just sitting here. I hate just sitting here doing nothing."

"Neither do I, but—"

"I've been sitting for almost a week, Sarah," Esteban chirped. "Just a quick ride to get out of the house."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Okay, but I'm going with you."

"You did promise, anyway," Esteban smirked.

Sarah blinked. "Oh. Right."

"Yeah, right."

Her ears dropped. "I guess I waited too long to join you."

"Better late than never," chuckled Esteban. "Let's go while we still have some daylight left."

"Fine, but don't overdo it. I'm not gonna carry you back."

"I never said you needed to."

Sarah didn't have the fancy full-body compression suit like Esteban had. Truth be told, she really didn't care that much about biking to make that kind of investment. Besides, the material made her feel uncomfortable. So she usually wore the next best thing in her mind; short nylon shorts and a long t-shirt tied at the base of her ribcage. She liked when her body could breathe while working out.

While she got her bike out and checked the tires and all that, Esteban made sure his makeshift bandage held up. The pain was all but gone; suppressed by painkillers and tied up in compression fabric. He made sure to wind in a bag of ice to slow the swelling, but other than that he seemed to be good to go. Sarah slipped her bike helmet on and slowly followed Esteban out of the driveway and onto the streets.

"Taking it slow," Sarah spoke to nobody in particular.

"I'm pretty good at biking with one leg," Esteban grinned. "My knee doesn't hurt, so I'm keeping my ankle still. It doesn't hurt that bad."

"That's good," Sarah breathed. "If you need me to slow down, just tell me."

"Okay."

Esteban led the way. He was always good with navigating the island. He biked it almost every other day, so it was only natural that he'd know the ins and outs to the island. Sarah was just along for the ride. He biked slow enough to let her keep up, but still managed to keep Sarah working to do so. With one foot no less. She was baffled at how well he held up, even under the amount of pain he was surely under.

Sarah's eyes wandered. The northern part of the island was always a gorgeous site. The jagged rocks carved into the face of the cliff below appeared to be an old saw their ancestors used to use to fell large trees. The water lapping at those rocks foamed up along the shore, filling nooks and crannies within. The sea breeze funneled through, the aroma of sea foam and gasoline filling her nose as she—

 _Wait, what?_

"Hey, Esto!"

The cardinal slowed his footwork so Sarah could pedal alongside him. "Sorry, was I going too fast?" he asked.

Sarah ignored him and immediately inquired, "Do you smell that?"

"No…?"

"I smell gas."

"Like, vehicle gas?"

"Yes, like, _fuel_ gas. Gasoline. Do you not smell that?"

"Well, we are right next to the overpass."

"No, I mean, like, _gasoline_. Like, the shit they used to put in those awful fighter planes like fifty years ago."

Esteban gave her a skeptical look. "That can't be right."

"No, I know that smell," Sarah insisted. "I used to work with repairing old fighters for the air shows. They ran on this kind of gasoline. Why do I smell it here?"

Esteban shrugged. "I think you're just overthinking things."

"Esto, I mean it," she almost snapped. "That's not a smell I should be smelling, especially here, and especially now."

"Okay, okay, relax," he breathed. "Let's just keep riding for now. That smell will go away."

"I'm worried."

"Don't overthink things, Sarah; that's how you have your attacks," Esteban reminded with sincere interest, as if his only goal was to calm her down. "I'm sure it was nothing. Just follow me. I know a cool spot we can stop at."

Sarah nodded her head as she let Esteban take the lead again.

They took a little detour. Esteban to knife up the upper-class district first because the incline wasn't as steep as the route along the overpass was. Besides, he just wanted to look at those villas again with how slow he worked his way up. Sarah couldn't help but gawk herself. These homes were amazing!

The extravagant gates, the gorgeous gardens, the sheer awe invoked when seeing the villas for the first time couldn't be matched by anything else. The fact that they were in the best part of the island in terms of views and weather only benefitted their amazing luster. With the sun rapidly setting, the glow put on the homes made them pop even more than they already did. Lights traveled up paths to map out parts of the gated property almost unnoticeable. Ponds, fields, landing pads, the entire nine yards.

Some of the paths were dark. Hell, even some of the villas didn't have their lights on. That was peculiar. With how extravagant the houses looked, you would think that the owners wouldn't have a problem making them pop even more. Sarah's peaked paranoia only took it the wrong way.

"Esto, how come some of these houses don't have their lights on?"

"Vacation?" guessed Esteban. "I don't know, I don't live there. Though, if they come back, you can ask them yourself. They won't even let me close to the gates, let alone all the way up to the front door."

"Why's that?"

"I'll tell you when we get to that spot I told you about. We're almost there; just a little further up."

After a prolonged ten minutes of methodical biking, the duo coasted to a stop at a small beachside park. A relatively large field overshadowed by the overpass only half a mile away, covered by a few trees and bushes, and dotted with benches and rocks. Esteban's favorite spot was to the far left of the park; a bench overlooking a tiny pond. Which itself looked over the beach below. Which itself overlooked a breathtaking sunset if you caught it at the right time. Only this time it revealed a wide array of stars.

Esteban almost forgot about his mangled ankle. He stepped off his bike and limped over to the bench, eager to sit and relax. Sarah followed suit. They both let out sighs of pure relief. It was nice to give the muscles a break after their ride, even if it wasn't as strenuous as it normally is.

"I'm impressed."

Esteban turned his head. "What?"

"You did well for being as hurt as you are," Sarah complimented. "I didn't think you'd make it."

"Oh… well, it doesn't hurt as bad as you think," Esteban attempted to boast, but the pain across his face sure didn't help.

"Yeah, sure; doesn't hurt that much," teased Sarah.

"Believe me, I've been hurt much worse than this."

"I can relate," she replied.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. The sunset captivated their interest. The breeze flowing in from the sea below only amplified their blissful feeling. This was one of those moments that won't be forgotten purely based on circumstances. They shouldn't be here. Yet here they are, and neither would change it for anything.

"How so?"

Sarah cocked her head. "What?"

"You said you can relate to being hurt really bad," Esteban continued. "How? What happened?"

Sarah swallowed. "I… I don't want to talk about it."

"Aww, and now you don't want to talk," Esteban joked. "Fair enough. I'll respect that."

"It's not that I don't want to," Sarah started, but hesitated. "I lied. I just don't want to."

"I'm not gonna make you," Esteban assured.

Sarah grinned.

"I got hurt a long time ago," he added, looking up at the sunset. "Do you… mind if I tell the story?"

"I'd love to hear it," Sarah answered.

"Okay," he nodded. "I haven't told anyone this so… can you keep a secret?"

"Your secret is safe with me."

Esteban sighed. "Well… I came from a dirt-poor region of Zoness. My family wasn't there for me. I fought for everything I have. I lived in foster homes all my life, all over the planet. Nobody wanted me. So I started training. If nobody wanted me, maybe the military would. I… I stole a bit to get by, bought my bike that I have, ran away, and rolled up to the nearest military base and asked if they could train me. They turned me away at first. But I kept coming back. Eventually they just took me in. One of the officers liked my persistence and _never-accept-no_ attitude. He ended up taking me in to train. Years of training eventually made me stay here…"

Sarah sat in silence, digesting everything thrown at her.

"That just proves that hard work pays off in the end," he smirked to himself. "Though I'm always looking to get better. You know this. You have to live with this." He laughed. "But that's just how I am. I don't ever want to stop working. If I do, I'll feel like I'm slacking. I didn't get to where I am by doing nothing, so I feel like I just need to keep moving. Keep getting better. Keep going." He chuckled to himself. "I kept telling myself that seconds before I fucked my ankle up."

Sarah kept her eyes on him.

Esteban sighed. "But… Part of me is glad that I hurt myself. Brought me back down to reality. The time I spent with you back at the house… I wouldn't want to trade it for a fixed ankle. The stories we told really lightened up my mood… which I kinda needed after what all is happening now."

Sarah almost wanted to cry. "That means so much to me," she stammered.

"Why?"

"Because if there's one thing I love doing, it's making others happy. I'd choose my friends over me being happy whenever I can, because if my friends are happy, usually I am too… It makes me happy to know that I'm doing a good job."

Esteban smiled back. "You are."

Sarah looked out at the sunset. "That was my philosophy when I was younger. Make everyone happy, and your own happiness will follow. Though… it's hard sometimes. Usually the one with the strongest smile is the one fighting off the worst demons… I did that way too much when I was younger. I…"

Esteban looked over to see her fighting back tears.

"I kept others happy so that… that when I… when I did what I did, people would be happy for me and… I could just keep being me without… without having to fight myself."

"Sarah?"

She blinked and looked at him.

"Are you okay?"

She sniffed. "I'm okay."

"What did you do?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Because."

He shifted. "I trusted you with a secret of mine… you can trust me."

"No," she coughed. "I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't."

Esteban saw her pain but still wanted to try. "Why?"

The sound of a helicopter answered him. Both Sarah and Esteban looked up to see a military helicopter soar overhead and belt towards the horizon. Seconds later, another flew overhead with a different course. This one seemed to go towards city center. The large spotlight on the nose of the craft shone bright.

Once the noise died, Esteban shook his head. But he still looked over and asked again. "Why can't you?"

Sarah stayed silent for a moment or two, but eventually said, "It's personal. Family stuff. I'd like to tell you, but I can't. I'm sorry."

"Okay," Esteban obliged. "Sorry I tried to pry. Just was looking out for you."

Sarah looked over at him again. "I'm a tough girl," she smiled. Esteban noticed that she always tended to perk up when saying that, like she was assuring herself more than telling him. It was pretty cute.

"I know," Esteban chuckled. "Ready to go back?"

Sarah blinked, clearly caught off-guard. "Oh, uh… sure."

He nodded.

* * *

:§:

* * *

Sarah flicked the light switch. The light in the back always turned on a half-second after the front one. She set her clothes on the counter by the sink so she could shut the door. She had to hold the handle down, pull the door in, then lock it before releasing the handle. Only then could she exhale in relief.

Esteban liked to keep things clean. The oval mirror overlooking the sink was always spotless, the towels were always cleanly folded, and the bathroom overall was very presentable to damn near everyone. The only thing they needed was for Gary to fix the light so both floodlights could turn on at the same time, as it should be.

Sarah left her fresh clothes on the counter as she stepped over to the shower. She pulled the sliding glass door back so she could adjust the temperature dial. She liked it a touch past where the red and blue indicators crossed. That way her water would be warm and relaxing, but not quite steaming. Satisfied, she pulled the other dial towards her, unleashing a torrent of water that ravaged the tile floor within the glass box.

While she waited for the water to warm up, she glanced around the bathroom. As usual, the towels were draped over two long bars on the wall opposite to the mirror and sink. Hers was on the top; the sandy brown towel with the tear in the seams sitting closest to the shower. Underneath was Gary's large gray towel, folded up and still just barely damp. Esteban's navy towel rested behind hers, neatly folded into a triangle for whatever reason he gave. Her heart sank a bit when she didn't see Austin's. She didn't let it bother her much though.

Without a chest heavy enough to justify wearing a bra, all she needed to do was shed herself of her baggy shirt, sweatpants, and the boxers she loved wearing. Underwear in the ladies' section never appealed to her. That being said, she tended to shop in the men's section for those soft boxer shorts. There were times where she'd get away with stealing Esteban's boxers for a night because either she didn't have time to do her laundry for the week, or she just wanted to do it just for fun. Tonight, however, wasn't one of those nights. She just did her laundry not too long ago. Was a shame too. Esteban had very comfortable underwear.

She took another quick look at her clothes for the night. A pair of thin sweatpants and her favorite pair of boxers—the black ones with the light gray trim around the waist. On top rested an old band t-shirt; the sleeves shredded off and the collar cut into a rough V. The logo—two white S's mirrored over one another with a tribal-like spiral connecting the two—was barely distinguishable on the heather gray cotton. It's been almost two years since she saw Season Storms in concert for the first time. That's where that shirt came from. She bought the bigger size because it was on clearance, and she didn't feel like spending more than she already did that night. Since all she did was wear that shirt at night, who would notice and/or care? She sure as hell didn't care that it was practically a dress on her. She loved how soft it was too. It was just a good shirt.

Sarah tested the water with her hand. Perfect. She pulled the door back and stepped into the downpour, careful to shut the door behind her. The wide showerhead looked like a dinnerplate, which she loved. She never enjoyed a shower more than this one, purely because she didn't have to worry about any part of her not being under the water at any given time. That water stream enveloped her so much that she had to point her nose down in order to breathe. She watched as the water dripped from her cheeks, nose, and hair; washing the grease and dirt away. She'd be clean in a matter of minutes if she wanted. Today… not so much.

She turned the heat up just a touch. Within seconds she felt the temperature increase. Her tense muscles followed the water down the drain, as expected. It's been a while since Sarah enjoyed a shower like this. With her nerves frayed and her mind in fragments most of the time, a long and hot shower felt like a visit to the psychiatrist without the verbal effort. She immediately felt her body calm down. The week of tense uncertainty seemed like a mere blurb in her mind with the hot steam infiltrating it.

Huh, reminded her a lot of Esteban. He liked to take long showers purely for that reason. Maybe he was on to something?

She lathered her shampoo and scrubbed her head next. The instant the foam in her hair hit the shower stream, an explosion of cherry enveloped the glass enclosure. She loved her shampoo purely for the scent. The oceanic breeze coupled with cherry was her scent. She didn't want to smell like anything else other than that shampoo.

The watery foam fell to the floor, slapping her legs and feet on the way. Again, she clawed at her head to wash away any trace of the shampoo so all that was left was that intoxicating aroma. But she wasn't done there. She filled her hands with more soap and combed over her entire body. Not a single tuft of fur was left un-scrubbed. For someone that tried to take quick showers as often as she could, this was the deepest cleaning her body had gone through in quite some time. Even places she hadn't bothered cleaning in a while, like the backs of her knees or the underside of her fluffy tail. Everything was covered in suds. Esteban would walk in on a soapy husk if he had to use the bathroom.

She enjoyed this feeling. This feeling of deep cleanliness matched the way she wanted to feel about her mind. Almost her entire being wanted to agree with Esteban; forget the troubles going on and just worry about how _you_ want to live. Sarah wanted to be herself, not the girl who worried about everything. That translated well with her thorough cleaning. A fresh mind needs a fresh, clean body to live in.

The water slowly began to taper off, and before she even knew it, the shower turned off completely. There goes the rest of the usable water. She let herself drip for a couple of minutes before opening the glass door and stepping out. Because of her thick lupine fur, the next ten to twenty minutes consisted of her aggressively running her towel through her fur. This is where she'd shed the most, but she didn't care. One thing she hated was not feeling dry.

Her fur doubled in volume when she was done. While she waited for it to simmer, she crouched down and trimmed her hind claws; something she didn't do often. Huh, something about that last bike ride made her want to be, feel, and look like the best woman ever. Well, she did really start to fall for Esto at the park earlier today. Was that why? Probably.

She stood back up and looked at herself in the mirror. Something about staring at her naked body built up her confidence. She had the toned figure of a proper athlete. A fluffy, yet muscly body. She wanted a few things to change, but what else was she gonna do? Go back to the hospital again? That first experience was pure hell, and she'd never want to do it again if she could help it. At least the scars couldn't be seen through her fur.

She finally put her clothes on. The band shirt still felt as great as before, and her boxers hugged her butt in all the right ways. So much so that she didn't even feel like putting her pants on. Esteban wouldn't mind, right? After brushing her hair for what felt like another ten minutes, she turned the light off and exited the bathroom.

Esteban looked up from his book just in time to see her. Before he could speak, she quickly stated—

"The water's all gone."

Esteban nodded. He didn't seem mad at all. "That's fine."

"I thought you wanted to take a shower too…"

He shrugged. "Even if we still had water, I wouldn't want one."

Concern fell on Sarah's face. "Wow, you feeling okay? You always love a warm shower.

"I just don't want to put you through what happened the night I hurt myself again."

Sarah giggled. "Oh, that."

"That was…"

"Awkward?"

"Very."

Sarah giggled again and trotted over to the couch. "Well, I didn't really mind it though."

Esteban cocked his head. "Really?"

"I mean," she stammered. "I wanted to help you out. It wasn't fun work, but you needed the help."

"If I could have done it on my own, I would," commented Esteban.

"I know, but you couldn't, so I was happy to help."

Esteban conceded defeat yet again. When he gestured to the open couch cushion, Sarah happily sat down next to him. While she was getting comfortable, Esteban broke the silence.

"So what's with the…" he trailed off as he motioned to the clear lack of pants on her body.

She tried not to blush, but it didn't really work out in her favor. "I… I really like how these boxers fit me, so I didn't want to wear anything else."

"I never knew you wore those."

Sarah shrugged her head. "I like them better than the girls' stuff. Guys' clothes just feel better."

"I always knew you were too tough to be a girl," snickered Esteban.

Sarah swallowed.

"I like that."

Her eyes snapped open. "Huh?"

"I like how tough you are. You're a skilled soldier, and a tough young lady too." He chuckled again. "Sometimes I forget you're still a girl, ya know?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I… I get that a lot."

"Truth be told, I get a lot of inspiration from you," Esteban continued, oblivious to Sarah's bright red cheeks. "I saw you train for the first time and I told myself I wanted to be like you. Small, but tough and unrelenting."

Sarah grinned. "Oh… thanks…"

"Are you blushing?"

Sarah immediately covered her face.

"You're totally blushing!"

"I can't help it," she whimpered. "Nobody's ever complimented that much before."

"Well you deserve every little bit of it."

"Esto!" she squealed. Her face wanted to explode. Her heart fluttered. Her whole body started to act up, but not in any bad way. It was a feeling she didn't even know she had.

Esteban laughed. "I mean it though. If you think you should take that as a compliment, then do it. You are very strong, both in your body and in your mind. I'm not gushing or anything, I'm just speaking truth."

Sarah giggled. "I like it."

"I know you do, that's why I said it."

Sarah blushed again. "Oh my gosh you're making me blush so much," she said through her fingers.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," chuckled Esteban. He looked down at the floor, then back up at her. "I just wish I could be the same."

"Same?"

"Strong and tough like you."

Sarah blinked. "But you are."

Esteban scoffed. "I wish."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have the same strength as you or Gary or Austin. I feel weak compared to you three."

"Well you're better than us," Sarah admitted. "You're smarter—"

"It doesn't matter when I don't have a good body to use it in," Esteban interrupted. "Listen, Sarah… I've been biking for years now. I've been sleeping well, eating healthy, doing everything that I have ever needed to do to be at the top of my game for years… but it's still not good enough. I've always come up short."

He glanced at the window. "Like… there's always been something missing and I don't know what it is. I've done everything I need to do, but yet there's always something else that I don't know about. It's not like I don't think I'm getting better. I am. I push and push and push but… it's still not there."

He looked at Sarah again. "I want to say that's what pushes me to train as hard as I do, but there should be some sort of reward for improving, ya know? Like, I know I've been improving and I know that I feel better than I ever have before… but I'm still not sure if there even is a reward for all this hard work. I don't know what the endgame is here…"

He sighed. "Now I won't know until my damn ankle heals."

She saw the depressed look in his eyes. She knew that feeling all too well. Wait… she knew that feeling. Her heart immediately began to drum on harder. Her ears and fingers tingled. She couldn't keep her tail still. Now was the time.

"Esto?"

He looked up at her. She blinked. Then held her breath. Then charged forward, kissing him on the bridge of his beak.

The kiss lasted four seconds. It might as well been the longest four seconds of both of their lives. While Esteban was surely shocked at the sudden burst of affection, he did everything in his power to return the kiss where he could. In fact, him returning it was why Sarah pulled back in the first place, because she wasn't expecting that kind of snap decision on his part.

They both stared into each other's' eyes, blushing vibrantly. Sarah didn't know what to say. She acted on impulse, and Esteban sort of understood that. Still visibly shaken, Esteban only managed to say:

"Did…"

Sarah blinked furiously. "Did I just kiss you?" she asked as if she didn't know her own actions.

"I… I think you did," Esteban answered.

Sarah blushed even brighter. With ears pinned and tail between her legs, she meekly asked, "…Did you like it?"

Esteban thought for all of one second before replying, "…Yes."

The slightest grin ever formed on Sarah's muzzle. "…Do… you want me to do it again?"

"Do you want to?"

"…Kinda..."

That was all the invitation Esteban needed. This time he leaned forward, and Sarah met him halfway. This kiss was much better than the first one. It lasted much longer, and it carried more emotions than the last one did. Despite the beak, Esteban kissed very well, which only made the moment better. They both wanted to savor the kiss for however long their lungs would allow them to. These few seconds were hours of bliss in their minds.

Sarah pulled away. "Esto…"

"Yeah…?"

She started blushing again. "I'm sorry, I'm so dumb, I shouldn't be—"

She abruptly stood up, shocking the cardinal. "Wait, Sarah—"

"I shouldn't be kissing you when you don't know…" she almost started crying. "I, just… I wanted you to be happy, and I knew that look because I felt the same way at one time, and I knew that this was gonna be the only time that I could do it so I just did."

"What are you talking about?" Esteban asked. "What don't I know?"

Sarah couldn't answer.

"Do you already have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Do you _want_ a boyfriend?"

"No— wait, yes— wait… I… I don't know…"

"Sarah, what do you need to tell me?" Esteban said as honest and as calming as he could.

Sarah sat down on the coffee table across from Esteban. He waited for her. He could tell she needed to collect herself before she started speaking again. She finally looked up after a while, tears streaking across her cheeks.

"This is my darkest secret," she whimpered. "Please promise me you'll never tell anybody…"

Esteban traced an X over his heart with his finger, nodding as he did so.

Sarah breathed. "Okay… Ten years ago, when I was just fourteen… my sister, my aunt, and I walked into the hospital. And… And with my aunt behind me, I told the doctor that I didn't want to be a guy anymore… …Ten years later, here I am."

Esteban sat in silence for… forever. It was the longest handful of seconds the young wolf had ever had to experience; even longer than the kiss moments ago. But this one was excruciating. She couldn't read his face. What was he thinking? What did he think? Part of her wanted to say that he was silent because he didn't want to talk to her anymore, but the other part stayed optimistic.

Esteban blinked. "So, you used to be a guy?"

Sarah nodded, visibly humiliated.

"Why did you keep this a secret from me?"

She bit her lip. "I like you a lot, Esto… I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to ruin our chances…"

Esteban exhaled sharply. "And what makes you think I'd care either way?"

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Sarah, I don't care," Esteban admitted, assuring her with a grin. "You could be an alien and I wouldn't care. You are _you_. I don't care what sex you are. I'm not in love with that. I'm in love with _you_ , Sarah."

Sarah fell into shock. "You… you're in love me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

And then the waterworks fell. Sarah immediately started crying and fell into Esteban's awaiting embrace. There was so much warmth in his hug that she didn't know what to do. She wanted to explode. So many emotions expelled out of her so quickly that she almost thought she was having another attack. But the warmth kept her calm amidst the emotional breakdown she was experiencing.

"So that explains the scar on your neck," he commented. She felt his fingers gently touch the scar under her fur. She almost gasped at the touch, but Esteban kept her comfortable. "What all did you get done?"

"Almost everything," she admitted into his chest. "Reassignment surgery, fixed my voice, fixed my face, gave me hormones… pretty much everything I needed. The only things they either couldn't do or didn't work was giving me a chest and letting me have kids on my own. But those I didn't care about. I just wanted to be who I wanted to be."

"Good on you," Esteban grinned. "I'm proud of you. I really am."

Sarah squeaked. Tears started to ruffle his feathers up.

"Sarah, don't cry. You should be happy. You've gone all this way."

"I can't," she sobbed. "I'm just so happy."

The next couple of minutes allowed Esteban to calm her down. They may have kissed once or twice more in those minutes, but who else cared? It was a monumental moment for both.

Once Sarah had her bearings, Esteban regained her attention. "So, I was supposed to tell you this before all… this happened… but your sister called you while you were in the shower."

Her ears perked up.

"She asked if she was still needed here… to take you home."

Sarah nearly gasped. "Esto… I wanted to tell you but—"

"It's okay…" he grinned. "I told her yes."

Her eyes widened. "You did?"

Esteban nodded. "I can't keep you here if you don't want to be. I understand. I tried to keep you calm and relaxed here, but I can't change your mind. If you want to go home, then please… go home. Go be safe."

Sarah almost started crying again. Luckily she didn't have any more tears left to cry out. She shook her head.

"What?"

"I'm not leaving without you."

Esteban half-grinned. "I knew you would say that."

"I can't leave without you," Sarah continued. "Not now. Not after what we just went through. Not after what we just started. No. I'm staying here with you."

"You didn't let me finish," chirped Esteban. He smirked at her when her eyes fell on his. "I knew you would say that, so I asked if she had room on her ship for one more. She said yes."

God the rollercoaster of emotions just wouldn't stop for her. She didn't feel any other emotion anymore. She just felt… tired. Exhausted. Mentally exhausted. All she did was sit down on the table again. Esteban reached out for her hand.

"Anyway…" he shrugged. "Did you want me to be your boyfriend?"

Sarah blinked. "Did… did you want to?"

"Well after what we just did today, I'd say we've already made it official," chuckled Esteban. "I just want to ask you."

She nodded so fast her neck almost broke. "Yes."

And another quick kiss made it official.

It was late by the time they both settled down. Very late. The clock read 1 in the morning. Sarah was drained. Even Esteban showed signs of tiring. But neither of them wanted to stop talking to each other. With Sarah's big secret finally off her chest, she wanted to divulge every single specific detail to him. While he may have dozed off once or twice during her stories, he still felt incredibly relieved as well. He finally found that missing piece to his life. Even with a damaged ankle, he still couldn't feel any better. He finally had her.

And she finally had him. Knowing she finally had a partner she could trust her entire life's secrets with made her feel like a new woman. The anxiety put on her over this entire week felt meaningless now. Her world couldn't be better. She was complete. Finally.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch tonight," Sarah stated firmly. "I'll help you upstairs so I have someone to sleep with."

Esteban's eyes widened.

She giggled back at him. "Not like that. You know what I mean."

"I haven't even been your boyfriend for two hours and you already want to share a bed?"

"Considering I haven't shared a bed with anyone other than myself for my whole life, yes."

Esteban chuckled. "Fine. It's not as amazing as you think."

"I'll be the judge of that."

They both laughed as Sarah acted as his crutch and helped him upstairs.

* * *

:§:

* * *

The very next morning, Sarah and Esteban packed up what they could and met Courtney at the military base. They were bound for Corneria in less than an hour.

Sentaa vanished the next day.


End file.
